Wisconsin became a state in 1848. Outagamie County was created from Brown County
in 1851.

The Fox Cities are 12 communities along the Fox River. Appleton, Neenah, Menasha,
Kaukauna, Kimberly, Combined Locks, Town of Grand Chute, Little Chute, Freedom, Town of Neenah, Town of Menasha,
Town of Vandenbroek.

Early residents of the area included the Menomonee, Outagamie and Winnebago
tribes. Although the Menomonees are the oldest known residents, the history of the area comes from the Outagamie
Indians whom the French nicknamed "les renards," meaning foxes. Hence the name Fox Cities.

In 1634, French explorer Jean Nicolet was the first European to the area followed
soon by French fur traders. One of these traders, Charles Grignon (GREEN-YO), built his mansion in the woods in
1837, the oldest home in Outagamie County. Other ethnic groups settling here include Dutch, German, Polish, Irish
and, more recently, Laotian.

The first mills in the area using water power from the Fox River were flour
and woolen mills. These were converted to paper-production when the wheat crop failed and farmers turned to dairy
cows for their livelihood.

The early giants of the paper industry, Kimberly-Clark, Appleton Papers, Wisconsin
Tissue Mills and Menasha Corporation have earned the area its nickname--the Paper Valley. While paper-making is
still the largest industry here, insurance, finance service and hospitality are also important to the economy.

Lawrence University, the second oldest co-educational college in the country,
was established in 1846 by Amos Lawrence with 5,000 acres of land and $10,000. Its reputation as a fine liberal
arts and music school brings it national attention.